NOTE - 04.06.09 - While most could figure it out on April 1st, April Fool's jokes aren't on everyone's minds a few days later, and Google has a long memory. For that reason I'd like to confirm that the following is a joke (as if I do real reporting here anyway), propagated and distributed by sarcastic chaps such as myself and those credited below. A happy April to you all!

"The White House announced today that President Obama passed the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED NC v2.2 accreditation examination, and is now a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP). White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the President got his AP because he strongly believes that green building and the LEED system are critical to stimulating a green economic recovery, reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil, and mobilizing the international community to meet the challenge of global climate change.

"Becoming a LEED AP is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life" said President Obama. "I decided that now was the time to get my AP, especially in light of the upcoming changes to USGBC's credentialing system... Green building is right for our economy, right for our health care system, and right for our future. LEED points the way towards the development of truly regenerative and sustainable communities, and now that I have my AP, I'm confident that I'm prepared for the job of rebuilding our country", the President added. "I learned all about LEED from my daughters Sasha and Malia, who attend the Sidwell School, the first LEED Platinum certified school. Malia persuaded me to become a LEED AP; she even registered me for the exam herself."

Please don't sue me Shepherd!

USGBC CEO Rick Fedrizzi congratulated the President on this outstanding achievement. "It's impressive that President Obama found the time to study for and pass the exam while evaluating and making tough policy decisions about the nation's financial and automobile industry crises, the situation in Afghanistan, and preparing for his trip to the G20 summit", said Mr. Fedrizzi. "Many others study for months, and have difficulty passing the first time. USGBC is proud to count Mr. Obama as the first President of any country as a LEED AP", added Mr. Fedrizzi."

I wish I could take credit for this scoop, but all of that goes to Mr. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP! Thanks to Chris as well for the head's up!

I am rather unimpressed by this Fedrizzi fellow. I remember his presentation at last year's Green Build in Boston where he mentioned how the current economic crisis took place as result of us "raping the earth".

This is exactly the sort of extremist rhetoric that make us environmentalists look like wackos.

If the green movement is going to become sustainable (pun intended), it must move beyond such childish slogans and find ways to work with the free market system. And that is exactly what energy efficiency and water efficiency are about.

FYI - Rick Fedrizzi and USGBC national office had nothing to do with this. I am the source of the April Fool's joke - Dan Geiger of Northern California Chapter of USGBC; we are a regional chapter, not the national organization.

This was done without USGBC's knowledge, and was unauthorized by USGBC. The quotes entirely made up.

a bunch of people in our office are studying for the exam and thought this was really cool and inspiring until we just found out it was a joke. what a major bummer and what a majorly lame joke. and you are a co-conspirator of lameness. way to go.

Please realize that your blog does have far reaching implications and that many people are following it as a trusted news source. You ought to be more cognizant about your role in the world of LEED. There is a lack of quality information and while you're blog is often flippant, it is the best I have found.

Your "joke" has affected me personally....I (as well as hundreds of other professionals) received an e-mail from the AIA-Los Angeles Committee of the Environment (COTE) with a link to your "Obama Passes LEED AP Exam!" article. I took it as fact. I then brought this information up at my interview for UCLA's Anderson School of Management last weekend. My interviewer was very surprised and excited to find out that Obama had earned his LEED AP credential.

Because I trusted the veracity of your site, your joke made me look like an ass. I also believe this negatively impacts the entire green building movement, when this gets linked all over the Internet, people get excited, tell everyone they know and then have to go back and retract their statements.

Thanks. I trusted this information and put it into a presentation I was giving to a group of architects. I'd imagine they'll take every claim I make about LEED with a grain of salt from here on out. Made me look like a gullible moron, which most were already convinced of because I believe all of the "environmentalist claptrap."

Maybe you don't know how hard some of us are working to make LEED credible to the masses, but this has set me back significantly with the efforts I have been trying to make in my office. It might have been OK if you'd admitted in the last lines that the whole thing was a joke, but, honestly, you've hurt the cause here. It will probably survive, but you've made it harder on the people who are on the side you supposedly support.

A joke needs a punchline. In this case I guess it was those of us who visit this site. I'm deleting this bookmark.

Some people just can't take a joke. Relax a little people. Everything in life can't be spoon fed to you. If you can't take an April fool's joke then how can you really question or challenge sales literature for "green" products.

I like this blog. If Joel wants to make a joke once a year then it's his blog. I was taken by a story on NPR last year. Even told others what I hear. Sure I looked silly when I realized what had happen. But I still like the information they generally provide so I keep listening. Just a bit more aware of the date when I listen. Live, laugh, and move on.

hahahaha. "brought it up at an interview at UCLA". i would love to hear how you tried to tie obama passing the leed exam into justifying your admission into a school. tell me that's an april fools joke too, please....

His daughters helped him register for the exam...hahaha. Very typical for common-sense-lacking, trivial credential-based "intellectuals" to not get a joke. It wouldn't have taken a redneck brick layer too long to figure this one out.

The Real Life LEED Genius Board

About Real Life LEED

This blog was created to fill the void of knowledge about all the little things that can make the LEED process frustrating. While I'm still learning, I routinely work on these issues and wanted to share what I've discovered in the hopes of making the LEED system more efficient, easier to use, and effective for everyone!

Please note that "I'm still learning" is a key phrase in the above paragraph. Any actions you take as a result of posts, comments, advice, or advertisements on this website is at your own risk. This is not an official U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) nor Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) website.

If you have any questions that you can't find answers for or tips to offer, please email me anytime!I try to answer all emails, but many fall through the cracks and for that I apologize.